Young people are being reminded to register to vote Credit: ITV border

Young people in the South of Scotland are being encouraged to vote in the upcoming Scottish independence referendum.

The vote on September 18th is the first UK poll that 16 and 17 year old's can take part in.

But they are being reminded to register first so they are able to vote.

A drop-in session has been held in Galashiels to help people register if they are first time voters.

You are more likely to vote if you start when you are younger, it is a habit you pick up and carry through your whole life. You are more likely to vote in General Elections, so it is a great opportunity that everyone should take.

On a visit to an Edinburgh High School to mark the introduction of the Bill, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“No-one has a bigger stake in the future of our country than today’s young people and it is only right that they are able to have a say in the most important vote to be held in Scotland for three centuries.

“At 16, young people can marry, have children and pay taxes and it is therefore correct that they are given the right to vote on the future of the country in which they live.

"In modern Scotland, giving the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds is the right thing to do.

“We want to make sure that our young people have the opportunity to engage in Scotland’s democratic process."